NEW YORK – In an exciting matchup, Philip Tomasino netted the decisive goal midway through the second period, helping the undermanned Pittsburgh Penguins secure a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday night.
Blake Lizotte and Rickard Rakell also added goals, while Bryan Rust contributed with two assists for the Penguins. This win marked Pittsburgh’s third victory in their last four contests, despite the absence of team captain Sidney Crosby, who missed the game for the first time in three seasons. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic stepped up with 25 saves throughout the game.
For the Rangers, Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox managed to find the back of the net, but the loss ended their brief two-game winning streak. Igor Shesterkin stopped 23 shots in the losing effort.
Crosby was sidelined due to an upper-body injury, marking a significant absence as he had participated in every game since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, leading the team with 58 points, which included 17 goals. Additionally, Evgeni Malkin continued to miss games due to a lower-body issue, sitting out for the fifth consecutive time.
The Penguins’ Tomasino took advantage of a power play opportunity, firing a shot past Shesterkin at 8:01 of the second period, just minutes after Rakell had tied the game. As the third period unfolded, the Penguins were outshot 10-0, yet they managed to fend off two late power plays for the Rangers to secure the narrow win.
Trocheck opened the scoring at 8:31 of the first period, netting his 17th goal of the season. Lizotte answered by evening the score at 2:25 of the second with his ninth goal. Fox then put New York ahead 2-1 with his fourth goal at 3:39, only for Rakell to equalize again at 9:07 in the period, marking his team-leading 25th goal this season.
In terms of team performance, this win improved the Penguins’ road record to 10-14-5. Meanwhile, the Rangers fell to 14-12-2 at Madison Square Garden this season, a stark contrast to their formidable 30-11-0 record at home last year.
One of the key moments of the game was Rakell’s equalizing goal, which galvanized the Penguins and prevented the Rangers from scoring any further.
Stats revealed that Shesterkin’s record fell to 18-19-2, a significant drop from his impressive 36-17-2 performance the previous season.
Looking ahead, the Penguins are set to visit Philadelphia on Saturday, while the Rangers will be facing off against Columbus.
